31 December 2008

They say -- whoever "they" are; people who are apparently vetting Oprah's choices for book of the month -- that whatever you are doing at the turn of the new year, that's what you'll be doing all year long.

Here's a suggestion for you: repent of sin, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. You see: Christ died for our sins in the way the Old Testament said he would -- and because the Old Testament said he would. He was buried, and he was raised again from the dead because the Old Testament said he would be. There were many witnesses to this, and if the resurrection is not true, we're the most pathetic of all men anyway.

Believe in that: trust it, and repent of your sin so you will be forgiven. Know for certain he is both Lord and Christ, this Jesus who was crucified.That's worth staying up late for.

After Ophah's latest instance of getting duped, one would hope that even unbelievers would see her spiritual blindness and her woeful wilfull ignorance and spend the year doing better things ... as you suggest, reading the Word of God, seeking the Lord through faith and repentance, i.e., seeking the truth from the Creator, not through the church of O.

As Christian, I know that the world is no longer my master and that I am an over-comer because of the Holy Spirit that is within me. That’s the definition of a Christian. That's a mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ James wrote it clear that God's grace is amply sufficient to enable us to live a godly life and to keep ourselves "from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).

I have learned to accept the existence of my weaknesses. I am always searching and identifying my strengths and weaknesses rather than dwell solely on the negative aspects of my weaknesses. I will have to remember that I will often fall short of my resolutions that the world will not come to an end it that happens. Failures are just lessons of bad habits that I keep bringing back. I just need to pick myself up and start again. Let the mistake be a lesson and learn to make adjustments as I go along. I know that God's love hopes all things (1 Corinth 13). I understand that God's Grace with love refuses to take human failure as final. With Christ in me, my human failures are never final. He is not finished with me yet.

Frank,Thanks. Well put. Short and to the point. I wish people would stop looking up to Oprah like she's some kind of god! And I wish she would stop promoting herself as if she is some kind of god.Oh well. I guess the world will always have its' idols. I'm so glad to know the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Amen!

Amen! And once you've made your commitment to Christ and looking for reading recommendations why not follow Richard Baxter's advice ( http://www.puritansermons.com/baxter/baxter30.htm ) and skip Oprah's advice.Peace and a Happy New Year!Steve

Two verses for the old year/new year observance for the few of us there might be that love the power and flow of God's "Ein Feste Burg (A Mighty Fortress)" German so powerfully used in founding the Reformation (and sadly Nazism, proving it's solely His Revelation (sola Scriptura), not sinful man's information:The old year is past (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Happy New Year!Josua 24,15*15 Und wenn es übel ist in euren Augen, Jahwe zu dienen, so erwählet euch heute, wem ihr dienen wollt, ob den Göttern, welchen eure Väter gedient haben, die jenseit des Stromes wohnten, oder den Göttern der Amoriter, in deren Land ihr wohnet. Ich aber und mein Haus, wir wollen Jahwe dienen!Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.Johannes 1,12*12 so viele ihn aber aufnahmen, denen gab er das Recht, Kinder Gottes zu werden, denen, die an seinen Namen glauben,John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:(The German is from the "Losungen" or "Watchwords" daily Scripture verse program at www.losungen.de (for 2009 update see www.combib.de/update/losungplus.html), the Elberfelder version; a Hernhut Moravian Brethren tradition where daily scriptures (1 OT, 1 NT) are drawn by lot, usually only 1 verse each)The English is my e-Sword KJV (www.e-Sword.org).

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